The Ekiti State Government and international health organisation, Jhpiego, have pledged to sustain and expand access to hormonal intrauterine devices (H-IUDs) as part of efforts to improve family planning services across the state.

The commitment was made at an end-of-project dissemination meeting organised by the state Ministry of Health and Human Services in collaboration with Jhpiego in Ado-Ekiti, where stakeholders reviewed the intervention’s achievements, challenges and prospects for sustaining the services beyond the project period.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, said the government was working to ensure the availability of family planning commodities at health facilities providing the services. She urged residents to seek professional advice from qualified health workers to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

Gbenga-Igotun stressed the importance of collaboration, community engagement and improved service delivery in strengthening family planning programmes across the state.

The ministry’s Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs Bukola Adekemi, said the meeting brought together relevant stakeholders, including frontline health workers, to develop strategies for maintaining and expanding H-IUD services.

The Project Director of Jhpiego’s Hormonal IUD Project, Dr Hannatu Abdullai, said the intervention focused on training healthcare providers to equip them with the skills needed to offer the contraceptive method. She added that the project also promoted awareness of its benefits, including its potential to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding.

Jhpiego’s Ekiti Team Lead, Dr Muriana Olotu, called for sustained government support to preserve the gains recorded under the intervention and ensure women continued to access the services after the project ended.

The Onise of Odo-Oro-Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Adebayo, urged residents to prioritise their health and adopt positive health-seeking habits. He commended the state government and its development partners, saying the initiative could improve the health and well-being of residents, particularly women of reproductive age.

The meeting featured presentations on project findings and lessons, discussions on service delivery challenges and opportunities, and a panel session on tackling misconceptions, raising awareness and improving community acceptance of family planning. Participants included government officials, policymakers, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, programme managers and frontline health workers.